Lahaina’s Front Street to reopen Saturday ahead of wildfire anniversary

LAHAINA (HawaiiNewsNow) – Maui County officials have announced Lahaina’s Front Street will reopen to vehicle traffic Saturday, Aug. 1, one week before the three-year anniversary of the Maui wildfire disaster.

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The area was often referred to as “ground zero” of the devastating inferno where lives were lost and the historic town was destroyed.

Some fire survivors say the reopening is too soon.

“What is the need to open up Front Street right now on August 1st? There is no need. Let the rebuild happen. Support the rebuild. Support the residents. Support the labor force. Support the homeowners. Then we can move forward,” said Jeremy Delos Reyes, a Lahaina fire survivor.

Others acknowledge there is no perfect time to reopen, but support the careful and thoughtful reopening of the beloved town.

‘A place of remembrance’

Fire survivor Shannon I’i said the reopening is not a celebration and asked people to be mindful when driving through.

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“The reality is that we do have to move forward,” I’i said. “So before people bust out their cameras and want to take a picture, they really reflect on what this memory is for us. It’s not a tourist destination for us. It is a place of remembrance. It is a place of resilience for us. It is a place that we call home.”

County monitoring the area

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said officials will have people monitoring the area and that private property has been fenced off.

“Asking people to be respectful of private property is not unique to a place that has suffered a disaster. That’s true anywhere. In any community, you respect somebody’s private property, whether it’s being rebuilt or not. And so we’re asking the same thing of people that they do in all communities,” Bissen said.

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For more on recovery efforts, click here.